Alex Jones detained by TSA en route to Piers Morgan interview

1/7/13 10:32 PM EST

The radio host who blew up at Piers Morgan on CNN tonight was detained by Transportation Security Administration officials on his way to the interview.

Alex Jones, the creator of the White House petition to deport Piers Morgan, refused to remove his shoes at the Austin-Bergstrom Airport while en route to New York City, according to TSA blogger Bob Burns.

According to InfoWars.com, the website Jones founded, the radio host refused to remove his shoes because "innumerable other people had not removed their shoes." The TSA screener informed Jones that those under the age of 12 and over the age of 75 were not required to remove footwear -- a fact Burns reaffirmed on the official TSA blog.

"Shoe removal has been mandatory for quite some time now. Even I have to take my shoes off when I travel," Burns writes. "There are a lot of questions that could be asked about his motivation today, but what is clear, is that our officers followed standard operating procedures today."

Jones refused to take his shoes off, believing he was being profiled as a known critic of the TSA, according to InfoWars.com. He subsequently agreed to take off his shoes, according to his website's version of events, but was arrested after a beep went off from the metal detector.

"The officer continued to detain Jones as he talked to other cops. Despite the officer seemingly wanting to take further action, TSA management, presumably aware of the potential scandal that could ensue, said they were happy to let Jones go on his way," InfoWars' Paul Joseph Watson writes. "Jones is now considering a civil rights lawsuit against the TSA for discrimination."

Both the TSA and InfoWars have posted a picture of Jones shouting at a TSA screener.